Bibbulmun Track - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Bibbulmun Track is a long distance walk trail in Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. It runs from Kalamunda, east of Perth

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

to Albany

Albany, Western Australia

Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....

and is almost 1000 km long. The name comes from the Bibbulmun, or Noongar people, Indigenous Australians from the Perth area.

History

The route has been changed twice, partly due to it passing through a significant section of forest that was at risk to change from either forestry, bauxite mining or dieback

Phytophthora cinnamomi

Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants called root rot or dieback. The plant pathogen is one of the world's most invasive species and is present in over 70 countries from around the world.- Life cycle and effects on plants :P...

.

The track was suggested in 1972. The groups that had suggested and also who were involved in planning with the then Forests Department of Western Australia were -

Perth Bushwalkers
Western Walking Club
Youth Hostels Association
Scout Association of Australia (W.A. Division)
The Speleological Research Group of W.A.

The Track was first opened in 1979 but the third and final alignment and extension through to Albany was opened in 1998 and retains less than 10% of earlier alignments.

The Bibbulmun Track is a walker-only trail. No wheeled vehicles of any kind are permitted. It has a parallel long distance bicycle trail - generally to the west - known as the Munda Biddi Trail

Munda Biddi Trail

Munda Biddi Trail is a 900 km long distance bicycle trail in Western Australia. "Munda Biddi" means 'path through the forest' in the Noongar language....

- which currently only goes as far as Collie.

Track Components

The track consists of around 50 sections. Each section is approximately one day's walk, except for the northernmost 150km or so, where the sections consist of half-day walks. At the end of each section is either a town or a purpose-built campsite. Each campsite consists of a three-sided shelter with wooden sleeping platforms, a water tank, a pit toilet, picnic tables and cleared tent sites. In the northern half, most campsites also have a barbecue pit and plate (open fires are banned in the southern section).

The Track is almost all through state forest, national parks and other reserves, with only a few small sections of farmland. The first half of the Track is through the Jarrah

Jarrah

Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...

forests of the Darling Range

Darling Scarp

The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...

. It then moves through flatter tall Karri

Karri

Eucalyptus diversicolor, commonly known as the Karri, is a eucalypt which is native to the wetter regions of south west of Western Australia.-Description:...

forests until reaching the coastline near the town of Walpole. The remainder of the Track is through coastal forest and scrub along the south coast, in some sections routed along sandy beaches.

The major towns the Track passes through are Dwellingup

Dwellingup, Western Australia

Dwellingup is a town in Western Australia, located in a timber and fruitgrowing area in the Darling Range east-south-east of Pinjarra. At the 2006 census, Dwellingup had a population of 346.-Name:...

, Collie

Collie, Western Australia

-External links:*...

, Balingup

Balingup, Western Australia

Balingup is a town located in the South West of Western Australia, south of the state capital, Perth, and southeast of the town of Donnybrook.The town takes its name from Balingup Pool, located on the Balingup Brook which flows through the town...

, Pemberton

Pemberton, Western Australia

Pemberton is a town located in the South West region of Western Australia, named after the early settler Pemberton Walcott. It is the home of the karri tree, the largest tree in Western Australia and the third largest hardwood tree in the world...

, Walpole

Walpole, Western Australia

Walpole is a town in Western Australia, 432 km SSE of Perth and 66 km west of Denmark.Walpole lies very close to the northern point of the 100-hectare Walpole Inlet, from which it takes its name....

and Denmark

Denmark, Western Australia

Denmark is a town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, south-south-east of the state capital of Perth. At the 2006 census, Denmark had a population of 2,732.-History:...

Highlights of the track include:

Mundaring Weir
Monadnocks area and Mount Cooke
Murray River
Murray River (Western Australia)
The Murray River is a river in the southwest of Western Australia which played a significant part in the expansion of Aboriginal settlement in the area south of Perth after the arrival of British settlers at the Swan River Colony in 1829....

Valley
Karri Forests between Donnelly River and Denmark
Denmark, Western Australia
Denmark is a town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, south-south-east of the state capital of Perth. At the 2006 census, Denmark had a population of 2,732.-History:...
Tingle
Eucalyptus jacksonii
The Red Tingle of south west Western Australia is one of the tallest trees in the state and can measure up to 24 metres round at the base and grow to a height of 75 metres and live for up to 400 years....

forest near Walpole
Coastal scenery along the south coast
Wildflower displays, birdlife and other Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...

n flora and fauna.
Marine mammals along the south coast such as seals, dolphins and whales

The Bibbulmun Track is managed by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation

Department of Environment and Conservation

The Department of Environment and Conservation is a department of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for implementing the state's conservation and environment legislation and regulations...

(DEC) and The Bibbulmun Track Foundation - an incorporated not-for-profit community-based organisation established to provide support for the DEC in the management, maintenance and marketing of the track to ensure that it remains a "long distance walk trail of international significance and quality". The foundation sells maps and guide books, offers trip planning advice, offers equipment hire and runs courses on camp cooking and navigation.

Most people choose to walk sections of the Track for one or a few days at a time. Hardy walkers who walk the Track from beginning to end typically do so in 6 to 8 weeks. The most popular time to walk the Track is during the wildflower season of spring ( September - November), going from north to south as the wildflower season starts later in the southern areas. In summer the weather can be very hot and water will be hard to find except in the water tanks at the campsites. Winter can be wet, especially in the southern areas but people walk the Track anytime from March to December.

Leave No Trace

When walking on the Bibbulmun Track Walkers are encouraged to follow the 7 Leave no Trace Principles which are:

Principles of Leave No Trace

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimise Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Your Hosts and Other Visitors

Track maps

Map	Last updated	Reference
Map 1 - Darling Range - Kalamunda to North Bannister	January 2006	ISBN 0-7309-6064-1
Map 2 - Dwellingup - North Bannister to Harvey-Quindanning Road	December 2004	ISBN 0-7309-6072-2
Map 3 - Collie - Harvey-Quindanning Road to Mumballup	June 2006	ISBN 0-7309-6080-3
Map 4 - Blackwood - Mumballup to Brockman Highway	January 2006	ISBN 0-7309-6088-9
Map 5 - Pemberton - Brockman Highway to Middleton Road	December 2003	ISBN 0-73309-6059-5
Map 6 - Northcliffe - Middleton Road to Broke Inlet Road	December 2003	ISBN 0-7309-6067-6
Map 7 - Walpole - Broke Inlet Road to William Bay	December 2003	ISBN 0-7309-6075-7
Map 8 - Denmark/Albany - William Bay to Albany	December 2003	ISBN 0-7309-6083-8

Awards

2003 - Finalist - Major Tourist Attractions - Western Australian Tourism Awards
2003 - Sport and Recreation Industry Awards
2004 - Winner - Significant Tourist Attraction - Western Australian Tourism Awards
2005 - Finalist - Significant Tourist Attraction - Western Australian Tourism Awards
2006 - Winner - Significant Tourist Attraction - Western Australian Tourism Awards
2006 - Highly Commended - Significant Tourist Attraction - Australian Tourism Awards

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.